Latte

Red Cup Psychology

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

FullSizeRender-2Few things say Christmas like a Peppermint Spice Mocha.

I do my best every year to get at least one of every Starbucks holiday drink – even an Egg Nog Latte if they’re available.

It’s not just the drinks that taste good – it’s the red cups.

For years now Starbucks has rolled out special red cups during the Christmas season to hold their holiday drinks.

They don’t offer any flavor. They don’t change the content of the drink inside of them.

Yet when they come out each year the red cups evoke a special feeling in many of us. They’re a signal for the holiday season. We feel more drawn to drink out of them than the typical white cups.

You might have heard a little something about the red cups this year. Continue reading →

Jesus and Jerry Seinfeld

/ Alex Doriot / 1 Comment

Jerry Seinfeld would have made a great Young Life leader.

Can you imagine the talks he would give? “What’s the deal with forgiveness? Have you seen this? Have you heard about this?”

It’s not just the jokes Jerry would kill at. Jerry Seinfeld is really good at relationships.

For the past few months Seinfeld has been putting out a web series called “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.” The show is exactly what you think it is and is absolutely worth 15 minutes of your time.

Each week Jerry phones up one of his famous funny friends, picks them up in a classic car, and picks their brain over coffee.

I’ve never not laughed during an episode. The wisdom from legends of comedy like David Letterman, Larry David, and Don Rickles is valuable for anyone in entertainment, business, or even ministry.

In between the laughter and the glamour shots of Lamborghinis and latte art, what I really take away from each episode is just how simple relationships have to be.As Chris Rock put it in his chat with Jerry, “Everything is about company. A gourmet meal with an [jerk] is a horrible meal. A hot dog with an interesting person is an amazing meal.”

Jerry Seinfeld, unsurprisingly, is really comfortable at talking with people. His conversations with comedians are at once light and deep. It’s something Jerry Seinfeld has in common with Jesus. Continue reading →

What Is Your Definition?

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

960016_10152877237925273_1466826151_nI’ve been drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee the past few weeks.

My commitments to work, family, and friends keep piling up. Blog posts don’t just magically appear. There are Arrested Development episodes to be watched. Sleep takes a backseat. Coffee becomes a fine friend.

If you had told me coffee would be my life preserver through this time a few years ago, I would have done a spit take of whatever non-coffee beverage I would have been drinking at the time.

For the first 20 or so years of my life I despised coffee. Hated the taste of it. Hated the idea of it. My parents were never java drinkers so it was never prevalent in my house.

One morning when I was in elementary school I asked if my mom could would make me a cup of coffee. I’d heard so much about these magical beans and the powerful drink they produced.

She made me a cup of strong black coffee. One sip was all I needed to know I never wanted to so much as smell coffee again. Continue reading →